Christmas Trees and Driving Safely

I love this old Christmas painting.  Such great memories from when my children were young.

 "It's the most wonderful time of the year."  (so let's try to keep it that way)

My blog and my website is all about helping people find better health in body, mind, and soul so once I read the sobering statistics about driving and texting I knew I had to share them with you.  This time of the year we can become especially vulnerable to mis-haps as we are more distracted, filled with more anxiety, and much, much busier than normal.  We all want to have a safe and a joy-filled Christmas, filled with good things which include great physical, mental, and spiritual health.  Driving safely is one way we can protect ourselves and protect others.  Pay attention to people while you are behind the wheel:  to the people in your vehicle but also to others on the road.  (Not everyone is paying attention to what they should be so drive defensively)  When you tell the kids, "get in the car, we are going to pick-out the Christmas tree" please be present for that short yet significant time that you are together.  Talk to one another. When enjoying an outing to the tree lot put the phone down for a couple of hours.  Looking back, picking out our Christmas tree when my children were young are some of my favorite memories.  I want you to have those memories too.

 

 If you drive and text you are threatening your health and the health of those around you.  
 Do you remember how fun driving used to be while singing along to the radio?  I bet that is fast becoming a past-time for most people so maybe we should start a "sing and drive" campaign?  Perhaps this could draw attention to the epidemic that has infected our roadways.
  I realize that most of us use our driving time to return business or personal phone calls;  after all, we're just too busy at home to be bothered by talking on the telephone (I am guilty of this too).  When on the road instead of filling up the moments in between stops try using some of your time listening to an educational recording once in a while.  I am trying to improve on my Spanish so often I will listen to a Spanish CD when I am in my car alone.  Better yet, turn off all noise once in a while and try just relaxing and pondering over the thoughts that are only entertained through relative silence.    We live in such a stress-filled society, it would do some good for all of us to do nothing other than sit behind the wheel and drive.  And just think of how much more alert you will be when someone else runs a red light or blows through a stop-sign because they are texting!  Be vigilant and alert.   And please NO texting-ever!
* As a side note:  most of those traffic/map apps. are just as bad because they aske you to drive and post about what you see on the side of the road.  Find apps. that start and end while you are stopped.
Start singing again...Christmas carols are the best!

I just read the following from an online article relating to an electronic product that would prevent a driver from driving and texting.  I hope the person gets their invention finished and available soon.  After reading the article I guess the only thing worse than driving and texting would be driving drunk and texting.

 "According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, cellphones are involved in 1.6 million auto crashes each year that cause a half million injuries and take 6,000 lives. Texting while driving has replaced drinking and driving as the leading cause of teen vehicular death, responsible for 20 percent of all teen highway fatalities in the U.S."

 Those are tragic statistics and totally avoidable. Share the information about texting and driving.   Have a safe Christmas season and pass along good habits to your children, your grandchildren, and those around you.  And please put leave the cell phone at home when you go to pick out your Christmas tree!

"For I know the plans I have for you says the Lord.  Plans to prosper you and not to harm you.  Plans to give you a future and a hope."
Jeremiah  29:11

*Join me for The Call on December 15th at 6pm Pacific Time.  Dial 530-881-1300 and key-in 642848#
To reach me by email:  Donna@DonnaSchuller.com